Pre-Owned Audemars Piguet by Analog Shift Royal Oak Offshore Diver 40990285/AS05234

Why We Love It

Royal Oak.

It was the design that made Gerald Genta's career and remains, without question, the most celebrated collection in Audemars Piguet's near 145 year long history.

In 1993, the Royal Oak line expanded to include the Offshore line, which drove the bulk of sales for AP in the past few decades. Debatably, the Offshore is responsible for carrying AP into the 21st century and ushering them into the powerhouse position that they exist in today.

This particular model, a Reference 15710ST Offshore Diver, is AP's take on a 'no frills' dive watch. Compared to most References in the Offshore lineup, this watch keeps it relatively simple with the time, date, and an internal rotating dive timing bezel which is operated by the crown at the 10:00 position. Additionally, this stainless steel model with its excellent integrated rubber strap manages to fit perfectly on the wrist despite its 42mm size. 

In excellent condition throughout and accompanied by its full original kit, this is a tremendous opportunity to pick up an excellent example of an OffShore that you can truly take anywhere!

The Story

Audemars Piguet, the vaunted manufacture from Les Brassus, wasn't doing so well at the end of the 1960s.  Their horological prowess aside, times were changing, customer tastes were evolving, and AP was stuck firmly in a very traditional past. Fortunately for us, their executives recognized this, and bet it all on the launch of an avant garde timepiece the likes of which the world had never seen.

Utilizing the talents of a designer named Gerald Genta, who would make his name for designing this very watch, AP planned from the beginning to make this new watch - dubbed the Royal Oak - a contradiction to tradition, and it became the world's first luxury sports watch.  Made in steel.  The gamble paid off, and the watch world clamored to get their hands on the cutting edge design, which featured a sharply angled watch with integrated bracelet, micro tapisserie dial, and ultra thin movement.

The response was so positive that their initial allocation sold out, resulting in an extension of the line as they scrambled to meet demand.  It can be said without question that the original Reference 5402 "A Series" - nicknamed by collectors as the "Jumbo" for its massive 39mm size - single handedly paved the way for a very bright future for Audemars Piguet.